Bill Clinton on Obama: 'I Think He'll Be Re-elected' (PBS interview)

[alp227]

Run time: 12:15 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLASGoM15QI   Posted on YouTube: December 03, 2011 By YouTube Member: PBSNewsHour Views on YouTube: 312   Posted on DU: December 03, 2011 By DU Member: alp227 Views on DU: 1980

 
In an interview with Judy Woodruff Friday, former President Bill Clinton discussed his new book, "Back to Work: Why We Need Smart Government for a Strong Economy," his new collaboration with President Obama to promote energy efficiency and create jobs, his 2012 predictions and his relationship with GOP candidate Newt Gingrich. ()

Excerpts:

CLINTON: And so what I wanted to do was say, look at the last 30 years. Look what our competitors are doing. There is no example on the planet of a successful economy with broadly shared prosperity and a shrinking, weak government. You can have a small, lean government. But they're all strong. They're all working in partnership. What works are these partnerships, these networks.

CLINTON: I'm not all that surprised by Gingrich's resurgence. I predicted it after he crashed, because the far right of the party keeps wanting an alternative to Gov. Romney, for all kinds of reasons. And he keeps doing well in the debate trying to hold on. And -- and in a primary where the party moves so far to the right -- as Joe Klein famously said, they all have to empretzel themselves to try to be acceptable. And so - and now it looks like a Gingrich/Romney race.

JUDY WOODRUFF: How much of a drag is unemployment and the economy broadly going to be on President Obama as he runs for re-election, do you think?

BILL CLINTON: I think -- well, I think he'll be re-elected, because I think the unemployment rate will continue to drop some. I think that, as we all know, it's a little understated because about 6 percent of the people who were in the workforce in 2000 have dropped out; they've quit looking for jobs. And we know there's a huge number of Americans with part-time jobs who really want full-time jobs. But it does show progress, and it shows progress in the private sector.

[center rising]

1. That's it Bill, keep talking up Newt!!!

I think I understand his strategy here. Talk up Newt, so he'll be the nominee and get crushed by Obama next year.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

4. exactly

.

[Armin-A]

2. Imagine what the world would of been

if it went from reagan to bush to bush.

I love this man.

[Left Coast2020]

3. I still have a grudge against his Communications Act legislation.

Bigger corporate media--fewer voices for the masses. Yes, Bill gave us a good economy and a surplus. But his allowing the corps to swallow up smaller radio and TV stations pissed me off.

[tomtharp]

5. empretzel, verb

Clinton, ... Clinton, ... ? I still want to like the guy, he is damn smart. But, did he not.. ahem.. revoke habeus corpus with his anti terrorism bill, sign NAFTA and GATT, repeal Glass Steagall allowing our current economic mess, pull the UN inspectors out of Iraq while they were dismantling Saddam's missiles, and he bombed baghdad, and shot scud missiles into Afghanistan. Bush caught hell for same? At least he was after Al Queda, pre-emptively missiling them (Bush Doctrine?) to distract us from Monica. Maybe he should have married Monica like Newt did w/ his campaign aid?

[watajob]

6. Goodness

What a ringing endorsement.